SPEAKER_00 0:12

Hello and welcome to another episode of Empower Your Menopause, where the podcast where we bust myths challenge all that outdated health advice and we empower women to thrive in midlife and beyond. It's coaches James and Julie here bringing you the real talk on what actually works for women over 40. Now this week we're going to tackle a really big question: how much protein do you need? It's one of the things that we see most of our clients get confused about when they first come and see us because let's be honest, most women are actually under eating protein without even realizing. We'll dig into some stats a bit later on, but it's one of the biggest reasons that from a nutrition point of view, women tend to struggle with things like energy, muscle loss, metabolism changes, um, weight gain, etc. in midlife. So in this episode, we're going to cover a few topics why protein is critical for women over 40. Of course, because you need to know why you need to be eating more, if that's in case what you need to do. How to calculate your ideal daily intake, it's probably a bit easier to figure out than you may think it is, but you're probably going to be needing to eat a little bit more than what you think. Then we'll talk about some common protein myths that tend to keep women stuck in that low energy mode and some easy ways to heat your protein needs without living off chicken breast and protein shakes. Not that we've got anything against chicken breast and protein shakes as long as the quality is good. If you ever wondered whether you're getting enough or why it even matters, this episode is for you. So, Julie, I suppose that last point is something that we should delve straight into then. Why does protein matter more than ever in uh midlife? For those of you who are listening and can't just see, Julie just sneezed as I uh asked that question. So let's read it again. Why does protein matter then, Julie, uh for women in midlife?

SPEAKER_01 2:09

Well, it's it's a great question, and I know it's one we get asked pretty frequently because protein plays a really significant role when it comes to preserving our muscle mass, um, keeping our metabolism active with our hormones, the way they function. We don't really like to say balance, but um getting them into uh harmony with the rest of the endocrine system. Um something that that I think women don't really realize is that muscle is very metabolically active, meaning it burns calories at rest in order to maintain itself. So the more muscle mass you maintain, the more energy your body's going to burn at rest. So when it comes to the struggles of weight gain and menopause, preserving our muscle mass is really important. And of course, we need protein in order to do that. Um, the last estimates I actually saw were um something like protein or muscle burns six calories um at rest versus two calories that fat burns. So it's significantly more three times as much than really exactly. And not to mention the fact that you know our hormones are shifting, we're already losing muscle mass through the aging process. So that makes protein even more essential to get right and to get the right amounts because we're not as effective or as efficient at assimilating it into our body. And then you add on to that the loss of muscle mass and lean tissue mass as we age. So we want to do everything we can to preserve our strength, to preserve our body's function. And this plays into independence, it plays into avoiding you know, risks of injury and falls and things we'll we'll get into a bit later. Um, but for hormone regulation and blood sugar balance, insulin sensitivity, even our stress response, um, protein is going to be really, really critical for that. And I know we've shared a lot of stats about why muscle loss accelerates after 40. Do you want to jump in there?

SPEAKER_00 4:19

Sure. Well, I think it's around 8% of muscle mass per decade of life once you're hitting um perimenopause and there onwards. There is a bit of a spike, or rather, a decline in the loss in very early perimenopause. That may be because estrogen is all over the place at that point. It spikes, then it drops, then it spikes, and then it drops. And maybe those spikes in estrogen probably helping protect the muscle mass a little bit in very early perimenopause, but then after that, it's dropping quite considerably, as I said, about around a decade, and it's um it brings back this concept of a combination of eating protein and doing some kind of strength training is protective for muscle mass and for bones as well, because you want to have as much of your bone density as possible, as much of your muscle mass as possible, so that when that decline starts, it's it's you you're starting from a greater starting point for that decline to start. So it means that overall you're gonna be losing less. That doesn't mean that you can't still build, of course, muscle when you get into midlife, you can absolutely still build it, just becomes a little bit harder, you've got to work a bit harder, you've got to eat more protein, and you've got to lift heavier weights to be able to do that. But it's really, really important. I just want to dive back in going retrospectively a step to say, you've talked about hormonal shifts before and whether we can balance hormones and all that kind of stuff. And we know that you know the the concept of balancing hormones is a little bit of a misnomer, really. But when it comes to protein's role in that, most of our hormones are made up of a combination of cholesterol and fats and protein. So, protein is essential for actually building hormones in the first place, never mind balancing them out. I think it's important to just note that when it comes to telling people about why protein is such an important um thing, uh element of this time of life, and then of course, you've got this link between protein intake and stubborn weight gain, and we know that one of the things that many people talk to us about is this idea of gaining weight in midlife, finding it hard to shift, that weight tending to hang around that middle area where women tend to feel quite conscious about it from what they tell us, and therefore it's really really important. Protein's important for helping combat that weight gain for a number of reasons. One of the reasons is that that drop in estrogen that we talk about all the time affects your blood sugar balance. You're you're more likely to be um become insulin insensitive uh the older you get, and because blood sugar balance plays a role in that, obviously protein can help with blood sugar sugar balance and stop some of those sugar crashes and also help when it comes to reducing snacking, etc. So protein has a really, really key role to play just there as well, as well as that idea of what you just talked about, Julian, that protein is very metabolically active, much more so than fat. So the more sorry, muscle is much more metabolically active, and so with protein being important for that uh for muscle gain and for muscle preservation, it it can help as well when it comes to burning more calories as well. But generally, women who have higher protein intake will notice fewer cravings, better energy, easier weight management, less blood sugar balance issues, less crashes, and so all of those to me seem like pretty good reasons for us to delve into then how much protein you actually need. And we the research shows us there's not a lot of research around protein intake for women during the menopause transition, but there is a lot of research around protein intake for people 16 above, and that tends to show that their protein intake is tragically low at a time when it needs to be much higher than what it is, and so we know as well that things like the record recommended daily amount guidelines that we tend to be given are the base needs for health, they aren't the top needs you need for health, right? So, when it comes to the recommended dietary allowance, which suggests I think it's something like 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, that is kind of like the bare minimum you need to be having, and we see people falling way under those standards, and those standards are already low. So, research tends to show that 1.2 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of weight is kind of beneficial for midlife women, and it's why you know this concept of just eating a balanced diet is a fine thing to throw out there, but really it needs to be balanced in not all three macronutrients absolutely even, it needs to be balanced in the fact that you you need more protein, you need more good fats, and you probably need fewer fast burning carbs at this time of life because they are gonna help um with those challenges of blood sugar balance. So, why don't you tell people a little simple formula then, Julie, for calculating what their protein needs might be from an absolute perspective. Then we'll delve into our good old friend talking about hand portions as well, I think.

SPEAKER_01 9:54

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And what I just want to add a couple of comments. One of the reasons why protein is so great and does all of these things is because it's a slow digesting um macronutrient. So it takes your body a while longer to process it, which makes you feel satisfied for longer. And it also slows down the absorption of any um any kind of carbohydrate that might spike your blood sugar. It slows that absorption down in your system. So it's one of the reasons why we recommend getting it, you know, at all of your meals. But in that 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, first of all, who wants to do all that kind of math? So we'll show you how to not worry about becoming a mathematician just to figure this out. But also those those measurements are like James said, they're absolute baseline for avoiding disease, avoiding wasting. We don't want to avoid wasting, we want to be healthy and vibrant and strong. So that's why we're showing that um you need more like 1.2 to 2 grams per kilogram of your body weight. So, you know, if you wanna, if you want to start and keep it simple, if and for those of our friends in in North America, a kilogram is 2.2 pounds. So it's like super simplified. If you'd even got one gram of protein per pound of body weight, then that's a pretty simple formula to figure out, right? So if you weigh 150 pounds and you and you go with the one gram per pound, you're gonna eat 150 grams of protein per day. And that's kind of the upper end, because when you look at how much protein is actually in the food you eat, that seems like, holy cow, that's a lot. So, really an easy, an easier way to do it, um, because this depends on your activity level. This is why it's good to work with a coach who can help you decide what the what the best amount is for you, but really listen to your body. But the easiest way you can figure this out for yourself is take a look at your hand, and the width and thickness of your hand minus your fingers is the size of a serving of protein. And what we love about using this method is because it's always with you, so you can eyeball the portions you're getting. And secondly, it's scaled for your body. So my protein needs are much different than James's because he's a whole lot taller than I am, and his hands are much bigger than mine. So, you know, we as a matter of fact, we have this little thing in our house that always feels weird for Ian if he's serving up dinner and he doesn't give me equal amounts on the plate. But I don't need the same amount that he does because he's taller and bigger than I am. So we we can use that as a simple gauge to start with. And when if you have a palm-sized serving of protein at all your meals, then you can decide how do I feel? How does that work for me, and adjust from there? But it's a great starting point. And I think there are some simple mistakes we can make here. And you might be listening to this and say, okay, I'm gonna go out and I'm gonna start eating loads of protein. Okay, first of all, I recommend or we recommend easing into it because your body needs time to adjust if you've been not eating very much protein for a really long time. And secondly, please, please don't try to get it all in one meal instead of spreading it out throughout the day because that really defeats the purpose of doing this. Your body needs time to digest and process it. Protein takes more energy to digest. And when you have it throughout the day, it's going to keep your energy much more level and much more balanced. So we want to make sure that you're getting the right amounts at the right times. So trying to aim for that palm-sized serving, I think, at each of your meals is a great place to start because that's a little less daunting, I think, for most people.

SPEAKER_00 14:01

I think a couple of things to just point out there that when it comes to calorie counting, portion size, and all that kind of stuff, the palm of protein or the hand size of protein might seem a little bit bit strange. You know, when you've got all these calculators out there that can do exact numbers for you and everything. The challenge with that is that those numbers are never really exact because most of the calorie counters are out because they don't take into account things like age differences, your size, how much muscle you've already got, all that kind of stuff. Then the other thing is, of course, is that both in North America and in uh the UK, at least, I'm not sure about the rest of Europe, the actual labels that are on the food that you eat can be up to 20% out. So it's a huge, huge difference if you're calorie counting for your for the estimate from the app or whatever it is that you're using to be 20% out, and then for the food to be mislabelled by 20% out, as you can imagine, that could be quite a big discrepancy. Whereas eyeballing your palm is much much easier. Now, one of the questions that I'm asked a lot when I try and explain this is that people say, When I'm looking at protein, how do I know how much protein's in the food? And really the key thing here is to think about what is the main constituent of that. So, when you're looking at a piece, let's say you're looking at a piece of chicken breast, you want the piece of chicken breast as a whole to be about the size of your palm. You don't need to delve into the fact that chicken breast might have 2% of fat in it, or if it's another protein source, you know, X grams of fat or X grams of carbs or whatever it is, just go for the biggest macronutrient that's in there. So, you know, key things we all know them by now chicken, tofu, eggs, Greek yogurt, they're all really, really good sources. So, for those of you who've seen Julie in a different light all of a sudden, we had to pause the broadcast for a moment because uh her camera conked out, so we've had to dial back in on uh her phone. So, apologies for that. So, what I was saying was that this concept of spreading protein out throughout the day is a really, really important one. One of the things that we tend to do with Western diets is we pack all our carbohydrates into that very important first meal of the day, breakfast. You know, you think about things like a slice of toast with some peanut butter on them. Please don't fool yourself into thinking that that little spread of peanut butter is adequate protein in the morning, or we will have a bowl of cereal. Now, some cereals might be very good, they might have things like nuts and seeds, etc., in them again, but there's there's not really enough protein in there. So trying to get protein into that first meal is really really important for a number of reasons. One, it's gonna help stabilize your blood sugars, two, it's gonna help keep you fuller for longer, and three, it's gonna help with weight management. So it's gonna it's the kind of thing that can stop you from dipping into the snack draw when it comes to that classic time, mid morning, 11 o'clock, you've had your breakfast at 8 or 9, whatever it may be, it's not quite lunchtime yet, but you're hungry. It's usually that hunger can be coming from the fact that you've actually had um breakfast, which was probably carb heavy. So I think I've hammered that point home enough by now. Why don't we talk a little bit about some of the common protein myths then? So, myth number one, Julie, take us to this. Why is protein bad for your kidneys, as we're always told?

SPEAKER_01 17:40

Yeah, the that's an interesting myth, and it's one we hear quite a lot. But the truth is, protein is only bad for your kidneys if you already have existing kidney problems. Um the research that was done on protein with kidneys were people who had kidney issues, it was proteins that were not good quality proteins, um, because that makes a really big difference. So if you're a healthy person, generally speaking, without diagnosed issues with your kidneys, it's not going to cause you any problems. The real risk is when you don't get enough protein and your body can't function the way that it needs to. So that's more of a risk than worrying about your kidneys. And again, if you're getting different sources of protein, if you're getting good quality protein and not a whole bunch of processed and packaged meats and pretend protein packages and powders and potions and all sorts of other ways other than whole foods, you really don't need to worry.

SPEAKER_00 18:38

Yeah, who would have thought the quality of the protein you have is important, right?

SPEAKER_01 18:43

Oh gosh, right.

SPEAKER_00 18:44

Surprise, surprise. So, number two, then, is you can't get enough protein just by eating a balanced diet. Well, we've already talked about this in a roundabout way by talking about the stats that show that people aren't getting enough protein. So that really you know kind of debunks that one straight off there. I mean, many women that we see when they first come says getting less than 50 grams of protein a day. Now, when we go back to Julie's calculations we talked about before, when we're looking at 150 grams per day, potentially, depending on age, size, weight, etc., then that is quite a huge discrepancy. But there's some certain signs there that you can pick up on really, really easily. So constant fatigue, brittle nails, thinning hair, always feeling hungry. They all seem like a lot of the challenges that women go through in menopause, right? And so if you're not getting enough protein, you're actually adding to that load there as well. So, really, really important to just not focus on trying to eat a balanced diet, but trying to make sure that your protein levels are an adequate level because the balance needs to be right for you, not right for some textbook or some scientific study that was done that was you know created for general population, not for women over 40, or shock horror just for men or whatever it may have been. You know, we need to be focusing on what works for you, dear listener, as a woman over 40. So I'm gonna let you take the next one, Julie, because I know that you exercise a lot and you eat a lot of protein. And one of the things that we're asked quite often is, is protein gonna make me bulky? Is it gonna take me turn me into the female Arnold Schwarzenegger?

SPEAKER_01 20:28

Yes, I love this one because it's so, so, so, so not true. Um, I eat quite a lot of protein, I'm somewhere between 100 and 120 grams a day, given my size and my activity level. And I strength train three times a week, and I'm actually much smaller all around. I wear a smaller size of clothing now. Um my measurements are quite a bit smaller. But if you put me on a BMI measurement or some of those charts that you see, I'm still considered significantly overweight, even though I'm way thinner than I ever was before. Because muscle is much more compact than fat tissue is. So the more fat you have on your body, the bigger you're going to be. And as you build muscle, um, we don't have, as women, we don't have enough testosterone to build bulky muscle. It's not in our biology or physiology. So when we start to develop muscles, yes, it's true if you want to start lifting massively heavy weights and doing that intentionally to build bulk, it's possible to happen, but it would take a very specific diet, it would take a very dedicated strength training routine, something that most people don't have the time to dedicate to. So when you get enough protein and when you build more muscle, you're going to actually be Trimmer and leaner and more sculpted than if you don't. And who doesn't want that?

SPEAKER_00 22:06

Yeah, and and we have friends who are coaches for women who want to competitively enter bodybuilding competitions and things like that. And they will attest to the fact that it is super hard, male or female. It takes a lot of dedication, a lot of hard work, specific diets where protein goes off the scale, specific protocols when it comes to your diet of bulking and then losing, lifting weights that are unimaginably heavy. It's not just the result of eating a bit more protein and lifting a few weights. Definitely, definitely not. And as Julie said, who doesn't want to look more toned overall, right? Who doesn't want their arms to look better if they're wearing a t-shirt or doesn't want to appear slimmer even if the scales have not changed? So, you know, really, really let's put that one to bed. Protein will not make you bulky unless you intentionally, intentionally want to set out to do that and put in a heck of a lot of hard work to achieve it.

SPEAKER_01 23:14

It's almost it's it makes you it really has to be almost a full-time job in order to do that.

SPEAKER_00 23:21

Yeah, yeah. I mean it's competitive training, isn't it? So it's either full-time job or it's super serious, semi-pro or top-level amateur level to be able to do that kind of thing. Yeah, shall we talk about how to get more protein in there? Because we've talked about the need for it, we've talked about why it's important, we've talked about some tips around it, we've talked about the myths surrounding it. What are some practical tips to get it get more protein in? Have you got any easy swaps that you can share for sort of like everyday meals, Julie?

SPEAKER_01 23:54

Yeah, absolutely. Um, instead of cereals in the morning, maybe try having some eggs or some Greek yogurt with some nuts mixed in. Um, you know, those things are going to have more protein in them. Cottage cheese, I know a lot of people really like to add in as a source of protein for a snack. Um, adding eggs to your breakfast instead of the cereals. And I I one of the things that I always find interesting is that in the Western culture, as you were mentioning earlier, James, that for some reason we think we have to have certain foods at certain times of day. When I was training for figure skating, I would have a hamburger and a bowl of chicken soup for breakfast. And people thought that was so weird because those aren't breakfast foods. Well, breakfast foods are the foods that you eat to break your fast. It doesn't matter what they are. If you come over to Europe, a continental breakfast is going to be meats and cheeses and sometimes vegetables and salads. Um, it's not necessarily something that's really carby and starchy and especially not sugary, because when you do that, you're gonna be absolutely famished. So swapping out your breakfast, um actually any of your meals for for things that have higher protein. So, like we said, cottage cheese, eggs, Greek yogurts, you can add chicken or tuna or whatever your favorite source of protein is beans and legumes and pulses have um a lot of good proteins in them if you want to be more plant-focused. Yeah, you don't have to turn into fled finstone.

SPEAKER_00 25:33

And there are lots of convenient foods that you can do, yeah? That means you can have protein on the go that will help you know add some more protein to your diet. Maybe if you are out somewhere or you're at work or something like that. I'm thinking about things like boiled eggs or those little packs of ready-drained tuna fish or edamami beans, and you know, even if you get a really good quality one, Julia and I we are we aren't big fans of processed foods, and processed foods are one of the things that you tend to get when it comes to protein bars, protein shakes, and that kind of thing. If you're getting a good quality protein bar that is made from great ingredients from a company that you trust, or a good quality protein shake, you're it's fine to add those in as well. What I would say is try not to buy the cheap and cheerful stuff from these sites that buy really, really cheap whey protein, buy it in in huge bulk, put it in unbranded packs and send it to you, or put it in sort of like basic branded packs and send it to you because the quality of it just won't be very good at all. So look out for brands that um that have got a reputation when it comes to the quality of their goods, and then you know there are some convenient options there there for you.

SPEAKER_01 26:51

Right, for sure. Yeah, for sure. And I uh the other thing I would add to that is you know, if you if you're out and you need something, just make the best choice that's available. So sometimes it's going to be a protein bar or something that has a bit more sugar in it than you want. But if it's that or going for a chocolate bar, you know, compare the labels. Which one has more sugar, which one has more protein? Sometimes it might be the chocolate bar.

SPEAKER_00 27:19

Yeah. Cool. Okay, so good point to start drawing us to a close, then, right there. So just some gentle reminders before we go, then. So protein, you know, it is important for muscle mass, there's no doubt about it, but it's about health, it's about longevity, it's about energy, it's about helping uh build hormones, keeping your body healthy, etc. We've talked about some simple strategies to boost your intake without talking feeling overwhelmed, things like carrying convenient things around. We've talked about ways to actually guesstimate how much protein you need. And if you're thinking now, okay, well, they said a palm full of protein is a portion, start off with a palm full at each meal and test it for a couple of weeks. You are a unique person, there's no one size fits all there. How does that make you feel? Do you feel more energized? Are you starting with your gym work to look more toned because you've added protein to your diet? Are you feeling less like snacking on one palm of protein? Doesn't work for you, try one and a half, try two. Too much, try try half a palm at each meal, but work it out according to you. Of course, when we work with our clients, we have dedicated software that can help us grow up those specific needs, it's more targeted starting points, but I would say a palm of protein is a really good start uh starting point per meal, so three palms per day, and then take it from there. Um, and then the other thing to think about is the one thing that we said to everybody about everything, really. What is the one small step that you can take today that would help you nudge the dial if you feel as though you need more protein in your diet, to adding more protein into your diet? Is it starting off with a boiled egg once a day on top of everything else that you eat? Is it going in for a palm of protein at breakfast if you already think you're covered at lunch or at dinner? Think about your unique situation where you are now and choose a step that you feel is easy enough to add into your daily routine because that is where things become habitual, and habituality is what we actually need when it comes to good health. So, Julie, have you got anything else to share before we head off?

SPEAKER_01 29:37

Um well, I would I would just say, you know, as you said, take it slowly. And if you need some guidance on this, we are here and available for you. So please don't hesitate to reach out. Um, you can find time to talk to us and we'll get you that first step. We'll help you get that first step and a plan to move forward. So if you're interested, you can jump on a free call with us. Um, no sales, this is just about supporting you, and you can do that by going to freecall.fabulousbeyond40.com. We'll drop that link down in the show notes, of course. And we would love to hear from you. I'm surprised at how much we've offered these, and so um, you know, the people who take advantage are always thrilled with with the outcome. Um, I'm just surprised more people don't take advantage of the opportunity.

SPEAKER_00 30:28

Yeah, jump on a free call team. Free call.fabulousbeyondforce.com. Alternatively, join us in our Facebook group. We'll put the link to that below because off the top of my head, I'll be absolutely honest with you, I can't remember the URL. Uh so we'll put that in the show notes for you. I mean, I can remember it, but off the top of my head, I don't want to get it wrong. So it will be down in the show notes for you. So having said all that, we've been Julie and James. We will see you next time. In the meantime, stay strong and stay fabulous. Take care. Bye now.

SPEAKER_01 30:58

Bye.